OAK HILL FARM, South Hiram, Maine

The Columbus Day Weekend celebration began with the first revelers arriving Thursday night. We had an eclectic group over the course of the weekend that really clicked. We had a blast! Peggy Hodgson came with her mountain bike and more energy than the average 60 year old. Ellen Snyder climbed to the top of the mountain three times while she was here...once alone at dawn. Sally Pope brought wonderful artisan breads from NYC to accompany the venison stew and fish chowder we had for lunch. Dan Blackstone and his delightful wife came from Sonoma CA with a case of Ledson wines and walnuts from their ranch. David Meissner brought his girlfriend whom we all enjoyed immensely. Lucia Olsson came for Sunday, still deeply involved with Eastern Star regionals. Steve Sargent and his wife came from NY where he is a PhD professor. We haven't seen him since our 10th reunion. They are into traditional English dancing -- in costume no less. Barbara Eddy was snapping pictures of everything. Gail Harvey and her husband Bill were here all weekend and we had a lot of conversations that "mattered" (got below the surface) and introduced us to three unique Scotchs from their collection. Elliot Childs arrived Monday and missed much of the party, but got his share of cake. For Saturday's banquet we decorated the barn with twinkle lights, a mirrored disco ball and a long banquet table set with the finest china and crystal. We dined on grilled steak tips, teriyaki chicken breasts and lobster newburg. Dan Blackstone whipped up a potato and onion grill. The birthday cake was accompanied by ice cream truck favorites (drums sticks, hoodsie cups, fudgsicles, chocolate covereds, etc.) - a suggestion from Sally Pope. And after the feast, we danced!

WHO ATTENDED

Gail Harvey Donkin and Bill - PA

Peggy Hodgson Enders - MA

Ellen Snyder Curley - VT

Jo Curry Dougherty '65 - PA

Elliott Childs - MA - Monday

Barbara Eddy Emerson - ME

Sally Pope Brown - NYC

David Meissner and friend - Cape Cod

Lucia Olsson Savage - NH - Sunday

Dan and Cindi Blackstone - CA - Saturday

Steve Sargent and his wife - NY - Friday

Kit Linnell - ME

Jeannine Hercom – ME

Art Melanson ’63 – ME

Sue Chapman Melanson - ME

The 35th Reunion of the Wellesley High School Class of 1964 was held June 25-26, 1999. It was the sixth official gathering of the class since the all night party held on the tennis courts June 3, 1964. Over the course of the two-day celebration 41 classmates put in an appearance (some more fleeting than others) with friends, spouses and members of other classes for a total of 61 celebrants. 19 classmates have passed away and 51 are "Lost" -- so the statistic reads: 14% of the located class members showed up. By comparison there were 56 classmates at the 30th Reunion held at Mount Ida College in 1994; 86 classmates at the 25th Reunion, also held at Mount Ida in 1989; and 102 at the 20th Reunion held at the Newton Marriott in 1984. No one has kept records (that we know of) of the 10th Reunion held at Wellesley College Alumnae Hall in 1974 or the pre-5th held in Cambridge at Billy Carlson's apartment and spilling over into the K-K-K-Katy Club in Kenmore Square. The Class of 1964 was comprised of 354 blue gowned graduates. The Class of 1999 -- the last class of the century - was comprised of 177 red gowned graduates. EXACTLY half the number graduating in 1964! The final day of school has ALWAYS been cause to blare car horns and circle the school -- we did it!! By 1999 the day has actually been designated as a Town of Wellesley holiday called "Beep Day". The convoy of cars, flanked by Wellesley police cruisers, wound its way through town to the Sprague Fields for a hamburger/hotdog cook out. On graduation day 1999 students collected their diplomas wearing wing-tips, flip-flops and some went barefoot. In 1964 in Larsson Gymn we were much more formal! In 1999, after diplomas had been awarded, graduates blew bubbles and puffed cigar smoke rings to the sky -- we would never have DARED! Small world coincidences follow our class -- and especially me -- everywhere! Donna Craig, airline stewardess, spotted Marty Zeller among her passengers one flight. Current students at Middlebury College in Vermont include three daughters of classmates: John and Nancy (Cahill) Mercer's daughter, Lyndley; Dede (Landon) Bazirgan's daughter, Meredith; and Revan (Fisher) Miles' daughter, Katherine Miles. Also Stew Armstrong's daughter and Jim McCabe's daughter graduated from Tisch recently. Lucia Ollson Savage's daughter and my daughter are going to Colby-Sawyer College together this fall. Not only that but my hairdresser in North Conway also does Jane (Pfeffer) Jerry's mom's hair as well as David Darlington's daughter's hair! Who Showed Up (Jordan's, Picnic and/or DoubleTree): Alex Achmat - Albuquerque, New Mexico,

The weekend of June 23-24, 1989 the Wellesley High School Class of 1964 came home! After 25 years...after Viet Nam, after career successes (and switches), marriages (and switches), having faced personal joys and sorrows, losses and victories...after all that, they came home! The Reunion Committee worked for 13 months getting every detail accomplished asking the Classes of 1960, 1963 and 1969 for advice. Friday evening was an informal gathering at the Wellesley Inn beginning the weekend by bringing together classmates who had already arrived in town. Saturday afternoon families gathered at Hunnewell Field behind the Star Market to enjoy picnic lunches, tennis and each other. The Main Event was held Saturday evening at Mount Ida College in Newton. The turn-of-the-century estate building afforded broad patios and comfortable paneled living rooms for visiting as well as the modern dining room. There were displays of memorabilia, the Class of 64 Archives Scrapbook, artwork by Sue Burr Carlo of NYC, Dave Campion of Andover, Nancy Heinbaugh Pettinelli of Billerica, quilts by Lee Schirmer Carpenter of Brattleboro, VT, photo layouts of model Nancy Onthank Johnson of Chatham, NJ, published works by Paul Machlin of Waterville, ME, Don Chaffee of Wellesley and Mrs. Lillian Bernstein in memory of her daughter, Andrea Bernstein Settler. There were Thinking of You cards signed for the families of the 15 classmates who have passed away to date. There was a poster of young John F. Kennedy saluting his father's funeral procession surrounded by quotations from the class relating to our Worst Memory of High School. After the cocktail hour and class photograph taken by Jerry Horbert, a buffet dinner was served. Leo Boyle, Class President, accepted the title Class President for Life. His words of greeting were brief, humorous and to the point. He reported that 90% of our class has been located -- dead or alive. Susan Chapman Horn, Class Historian, then addressed the class. She reported that clad in red caps and gowns WHS graduated 276 young people this year. In 1964 366 graduated in blue caps and gowns. The 1964 prom was held in the gym. Does anyone remember the 3 young ladies who showed up in identical black and white gowns? In 1989 the prom was held at the Westin Hotel in Copley Square, Boston. No one wore identical gowns. Sue reported that the Weisenbach-Ciesluk Scholarship founded in memory of Karl Ciesluk and Buster Weisenbach, was awarded this year to high school senior Lewis Kopfsky. Class Awards were then presented. The Farthest Distance Traveled went to Sharon Chandler from Bellingham, Washington. (A difficult call since 6 classmates traveled from California: Dan Blackstone, Jane Bonifassi Hollander, Buddy Mear, Lee Brown, Vicki Kryter Liebhaber and Dick Nasson.) First Grandparent: Undisputed title to Barbara Eddy Emerson of Rockland, Maine who is grandmother of 3 (so far). Most Recent Parent (in attendance): Dan Blackstone of Novato, CA whose second daughter, Katie Rose is 8 months old. Faculty Appreciation Award to Bedros Kamitian who took the time and showed the interest to be with us. Yearbook Picture Look Alike: Jane Bonifassi Hollander of Santa Barbara, CA and Marty Zeller of Woodstock, VT. Above and Beyond Punctuality Award to Peter Spears for overnight expressing his reunion reservation so that it arrived exactly on April 1. Class Service Award: To a group of girls who, during high school, embellished the white fence posts surrounding the football field with red painted names of every football player and further decorated the goal posts by driving underneath with a car and standing on it to reach. Two of the heroines were in attendance: Maureen McDonald Duffey of Westwood and Jean Salatich Kehrer of Glenview, IL. In absentia kudos went to Maggie Kenney, Patty Papps Flug and Ginny Smith Kinzler. The Dana Frost Award went to members of the class still in active military service. Cpl. Dana Frost, USMC, gave his life in the service of his country on April 16, 1966 near Phu Bai, Viet Nam. The award went to Col. Frank T. Birk, USAF, director of the Stealth Bomber testing program in California; to Col. Robert Noonan, USA, and Col. Gregory Varo, USA, both assigned to the Pentagon. The Class Appreciation Award went to Greg Varo for writing our class song. He was presented with a copy of the song done in calligraphy by Bob O'Malley. Greg then led the class in singing “Now Is The Time”. The King of the Castle Award went to Bill Carlson of Weston for making the use of the unique facility at Mt. Ida possible. Leo Boyle then presented Sue Chapman Horn with a large empty frame into which an enlargement of the class photo will be mounted. The conclusion of the formal segment of the reunion was a skit entitled Quasi-Historical Collage, 1961-1964 Lisa Benedict Lackey of Buchanan, VA portrayed the heroine in 1989. Lynda Fumia St. James of Wellesley portrayed the heroine in 1964. Mary Anthony of Chicago was her best friend. Lee Brown of Morgan Hills, CA was the boy next door. Leo Boyle of Wellesley was the football player hero (and FINALLY got to wear a letter jacket). Lee Schirmer Carpenter of Brattleboro, VT was the cheerleader. Disc Jockey, Bobby Valukis, then swung the dance floor into action with sounds of the 60's. After 25 years men and women of the class of 1964 can still do the Twist, the Stroll and variations on the Swim, the Mashed Potato and the Watusi.